Game Music Packs an entirely new concept for Voice Attack

[Gamemusicpacks]

Hi all!

After speaking to some of the Frontier devs at Lavecon 2017 (great weekend btw) I was kindly invited to mention my new project, Game Music Packs on Frontier's forums. There's lots more info on the website. https://gamemusicpacks.com
So, what are Game Music Packs? Our music packs are voiced by none other than Obsidian Ant and are powered by Voice Attack, I'll describe each element of the music pack briefly below:

1. Our music packs contain originally composed music (some of which performed by orchestra) for Elite Dangerous (they suit other space sims too) composed by myself licensed for your use in VODs, fan videos, streams and so forth. The packs allow you to actually change/add/remove instruments within a mix, for example, replacing lead instrument or removing percussion, there are many more options, such as getting current track details and player status. You can of course do the regular things too such as changing volume, next/previous track putting the pack on repeat, shuffle & much more.
2. Hybrid Audio Blocks. This is a very unique system which composes music on the fly using varying sized 'blocks' of music. The pack essentially 'builds' music and sounds different each time you fire it up. This feature has proven very popular among our users!
3. You can also switch to internet radio, many stations including Laveradio et al are preset, you can of course add your own.
4. We are launching our new plugin in September & our brand new bespoke music player which is bringing playlist support with a drag and drop approach to adding/removing your own playlists and very powerful control and feedback functionality. This feature and many more are coming in version 1.2 of VMX (our plugin and control system) in September 2017.

We have recently launched our first pack, which is the Space Exploration Pack (currently at version 1.1). This pack is dedicated to all things chill and as the title suggests, it's aimed at explorers among you. We will be launching the Trade & Mission Pack very soon which will be a pack dedicated to more upbeat music, some combat, docking/landing/supercruise music. Beginning with our next pack we'll be adding context based music control, this will be an additional mode to control both our music and your playlists. Many of our users use their music packs with other Voice Attack packs such as HCS's voice packs.

We have been dedicated members of the Elite Dangerous community since the game launch and have already had great support from many great people in the community, from MahdDogg, Obsidian Ant, Kate Russell, to name but a few lovely people. We've got so many amazing things coming with the packs, the above just scratches the surface. We've had brilliant feedback from users who have left reviews on our site.

So, thanks for reading, I'll drop a demo video below of the Exploration Pack. Probably worth mentioning that all purchasers of the Exploration Pack will receive a discount on our upcoming Trade & Mission Pack sporting VMX 2.0 a little later this year. Thanks for reading CMDRs! o7

https://vimeo.com/214137418 [smile]

P.S We're always interested in working with streamers, other members of the community, so feel free to contact us, we're also on Twitter: @musicpacks

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

 

[FrogsFriend]

Nice idea, I'll take a look [up]

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Danke!

Nice idea, I'll take a look [up]

 

[FrogsFriend]

Listened to this on the demo vids and it sounds excellent. The Audio Blocks generation will be just the thing on those long cold space trips; no more YouTube hunting trying to find the right ambient sound.
Pretty impressed with the list of upcoming features too. Situational music? Can't wait to hear it.

Purchased a copy and VoiceAttack. Just need to get it all set up now

 

[Para Handy]

I would be interested in just having an internet radio streaming facility in voice-attack, is that possible already or would one need this musicthingie?

 

[Drelthar]

So, this could potentially do things like, see you enter the Lave System, and fire up Lave radio?

See you pick up an assasination mission, and begin some suitable build up music, then detect you dropping into the mission instance, and then play battle music?

Put on some trucking tracks when you grab a cargo mission and hit launch?

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Hi Malc,
Voice Attack doesn't directly have an internet radio streaming facility no, there needs to be various elements in place to handle this, plus the macros in VA, a few other things to handle it 'properly'. Sufficed to say, yes, our music packs support internet radio streaming. There are presets for Elite related stations, plus a few popular radio stations and it's easy to add you own. Hope this helps!

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

I would be interested in just having an internet radio streaming facility in voice-attack, is that possible already or would one need this musicthingie?

 

[cael]

now this is something i could get into i have a playlist set up. what i hear is great but what all kinds of music. i know it is hard to keep up with everyone's style. mostly what i listen to is stuff like they have in rouge galaxy and firefly. some good old space trucking music. ether way i love this idea.

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

Nice idea but I prefer: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dendera91 where the music is free and varied.

[video=youtube;DeXoACwOT1o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXoACwOT1o[/video]

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Entirely different concept. Our music is pretty much given away free, each pack will provide a library of different categories of music (combat, exploration, trade/mission), we charge because a) we have to pay for orchestral recordings b) we have to live, it's surely only fair that hard working composers get a little something to live off c) our packs are not only voice controlled (a youtube video isn't), our packs allow you to adjust the mix (youtube video doesn't) d) our packs are licensed to you to use the music for productions, 'free' music can at any point have its conditions of use changed e) the music pack has additional software to play internet radio, your own playlists, add/remove instruments in a mix, audio blocks etc. f) they contain software and massive amounts of music with hybrid blocks that composes music on the fly, there's around 8hours + of content for EACH category, exploration for now, soon missions/trade etc, that will have 8+ hours in and of itself and so on! g) we're close to launching context driven music based on what you do in Elite: Dangerous, h) oh there's a 'H' too We support the Elite: Dangerous streaming and video community, from our sales we pay content creators from well known Obsidian Ant to lesser know streamers such as Aggro_Magnet, we pay them fairly for their voice overs and time, so essentially, everyone wins, you get great music, we get to live, your favourite Elite: Dangerous video creators get support. The Elite Dangerous community is very special and I like to think we're doing our bit.

A Youtube music video does none of these things. Thanks for your comment, but I think it compares apples with oranges, two totally different things. We also have this upcoming

https://vimeo.com/212307018

Nice idea but I prefer: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dendera91 where the music is free and varied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXoACwOT1o

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Hi Novo,

Good question and great idea. So, how it'll work is we'll have 3 packs out for Elite Dangerous, first Exploration music category (available now), next a pack dedicated to missions, trade, general travel and some tracks for combat. The final pack will be entirely combat orientate. So, the idea is that you can choose to either play each pack as a normal album, i.e one track after another in the usual way, or be able to ask the pack to look out for what's going on in the game and then play the relevant music from whichever pack will play, the end result being the music will behave like Elite's in game music. There will also be the choice of using your own playlists in that way, so you could execute 'my battle music collection' playlist when combat is taking place etc. So, this is the important part, yes technically you could have the next music pack (that's when VMX 2 becomes available) play Lave Radio when you entire the Lave system. Whilst this isn't something directly we were intending, the system is flexible so it'd only take a moment to make this happen.
It's worth noting that although we have our own roadmap for features, we have also heavily taken on board suggestions and requests from users, to be honest, their suggestions are often fantastic! The music pack is all the better for their feedback!
"Putting on trucking tracks when you grab a cargo mission..." yes this is basically it. If Elite's journal notifies of the event, then the music pack can potentially pick it up, yes.
Hope this answers a few questions. It's a very exciting project, a lot of work, but well worth it I think!

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

So, this could potentially do things like, see you enter the Lave System, and fire up Lave radio?

See you pick up an assasination mission, and begin some suitable build up music, then detect you dropping into the mission instance, and then play battle music?

Put on some trucking tracks when you grab a cargo mission and hit launch?

 

[Wasp0]

I like this idea a lot, especially the 'Radio' bit. As a technical no hoper and having just got VA working how i want with the Vasco Voice pack, how will this intergrate with what i have (VA + Vasco Voice Pack)? Will it 'Just Load' and not interfer with what i have? or will i have to dive into VA to set things up again, BTW i HATE tinkering with a passion and would just like to pay a little extra to be able to hit 'Next, Next, Next & Close'

Treat me as a complete IT Noob please!

Thank you. o7

 

[MikeHawk]

not interested really ... I have a media player & 330 gigs of music on a mechanical drive, You have more music than that?

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Fair play. If you're happy with that, great. As a composer having worked in audiobook and television industry in the past, the opportunities with Voice Attack and amazing game like Elite, as a composer are exciting to me. It's not really about quantity, which was why I didn't drone on originally about it. It's about the experience, something tailored to Elite plus innovative and unique ways to listen to music i.e change instruments within a mix, powerful voice control of both the music pack music and your own collection(s). But of course as you say Mike, you can't please everyone. As I say, fair play. Have a great day.

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

not interested really ... I have a media player & 330 gigs of music on a mechanical drive, You have more music than that?

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Hi Wasp0,

Internet radio is something I use personally quite a bit, I jump from music pack music to internet radio and back, often. So, as for using the music pack with a voice pack, most of our users simply import the music pack into their HCS pack of choice. That's it really to get going. Of course, be sure to keep a back up of both! As for internet radio, there are preset stations in there already, so there's a fair chance you needn't do anything at all with that. If you wish to add some, it's an easy case of just adding the station's address, naming the station (for the voice command) and you're off. Since we are updating to version 1.2 (free update) in September, that will be adding drag and drop playlist support and we want to do that for adding internet radio stations as well. So either in that update or a minor update very soon after 1.2 I'm looking to make adding internet radio stations work in the same way, so that'll be even easier still! The idea is we want to make the music pack a great, powerful and easy way to access your music via voice whilst providing our own professionally recorded bespoke music for Elite too and allow you to switch between them quickly and easily. Oh and of course, Obsidian Ant will be providing the voice feedback

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

I like this idea a lot, especially the 'Radio' bit. As a technical no hoper and having just got VA working how i want with the Vasco Voice pack, how will this intergrate with what i have (VA + Vasco Voice Pack)? Will it 'Just Load' and not interfer with what i have? or will i have to dive into VA to set things up again, BTW i HATE tinkering with a passion and would just like to pay a little extra to be able to hit 'Next, Next, Next & Close'

Treat me as a complete IT Noob please!

Thank you. o7

 

[Wasp0]

Hi Wasp0,

Internet radio is something I use personally quite a bit, I jump from music pack music to internet radio and back, often. So, as for using the music pack with a voice pack, most of our users simply import the music pack into their HCS pack of choice. That's it really to get going. Of course, be sure to keep a back up of both! As for internet radio, there are preset stations in there already, so there's a fair chance you needn't do anything at all with that. If you wish to add some, it's an easy case of just adding the station's address, naming the station (for the voice command) and you're off. Since we are updating to version 1.2 (free update) in September, that will be adding drag and drop playlist support and we want to do that for adding internet radio stations as well. So either in that update or a minor update very soon after 1.2 I'm looking to make adding internet radio stations work in the same way, so that'll be even easier still! The idea is we want to make the music pack a great, powerful and easy way to access your music via voice whilst providing our own professionally recorded bespoke music for Elite too and allow you to switch between them quickly and easily. Oh and of course, Obsidian Ant will be providing the voice feedback

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

Thanks for your prompt and detailed response:

So just to be clear, I buy your music pack download it, and install to VA. It appears as a VA profile in the programs list of profile, i choose to 'Import' and it will integrate into my Current Vasco VA Profile? so all my Vasco commands i currently use will work alongside Mr Ants Voice who is controlling your music commands?

Wow if that is the case even i can do that!

Thank you

o7

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Hi,
Yes, the installer will automagically locate your voice attack folder and place the music pack in the sounds directory for you. You can either run the pack as a profile on its own, import it in the usual way (it's all shown in the manual & videos) or if you wish to use it with a voice pack, the usual way is to import the pack and the two will work together as you describe. The music pack will have Obsidian give you music pack related feedback, your voice pack will do its usual thing and handle feedback for your ship control. A few regular streamers I watch use the music pack in this way, they have Tom baker alongside the music pack hehe. You can also choose to disable voice feedback in the music pack if you wish.

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

Thanks for your prompt and detailed response:

So just to be clear, I buy your music pack download it, and install to VA. It appears as a VA profile in the programs list of profile, i choose to 'Import' and it will integrate into my Current Vasco VA Profile? so all my Vasco commands i currently use will work alongside Mr Ants Voice who is controlling your music commands?

Wow if that is the case even i can do that!

Thank you

o7

 

[Wasp0]

Hi,
Yes, the installer will automagically locate your voice attack folder and place the music pack in the sounds directory for you. You can either run the pack as a profile on its own, import it in the usual way (it's all shown in the manual & videos) or if you wish to use it with a voice pack, the usual way is to import the pack and the two will work together as you describe. The music pack will have Obsidian give you music pack related feedback, your voice pack will do its usual thing and handle feedback for your ship control. A few regular streamers I watch use the music pack in this way, they have Tom baker alongside the music pack hehe. You can also choose to disable voice feedback in the music pack if you wish.

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

Thanks, gonna try this out tonight when next in game.

 

[[VR] Deggial]

Hi Gamemusicpacks,

I think your project is awesome and I whish your company great success with it!

I already use a VA profile that randomly plays songs from two dedicated folders (one with slow and relaxing music, one with combat music).
Unortunately, my VA/general pogramming knowledge only allows me very basic usability. That means, I can only play one random song at a time and repeat my 'next song!' command, when it ends. It seems as if your programm is way more sophisticated in this respect!

However, my personal music taste is a bit ... different/special. I don't think, your music selection will serve me well.

Hence the followin question:
Have you considered to split your programm appart and just sell a version with limited features (for a lower price, I guess)?
A version that just adds a VA-controled music player that can be linked to multiple dedicated folders on the hard drive in order to play music owned (and loved) by the user?
Starting and ending (pausing) the music, chosing music types/folders and controling the volume would be sufficient in my regards.

(Supporting different languages, especially German, would be very welcome, too. As I have to use German voice recognition, this is what holds me back purchasing all those awesome voice packs in the first place. I know that your main product already features German.)

 

[Gamemusicpacks]

Hi Deggial,

Thanks for the great post. Yes with update 1.2 with regards to playlists it's a lot more sophisticated I think Musical taste, well it's impossible to please everybody, as I say we'll be focusing on a particular aspect of the game for each pack, the overarching aim being to have a large library of different styles to fit the game, rather than do one pack with a mix of music, then another pack with a mix of music, given that I'm aware of our roadmap and general direction, this will work best in the longer term. I appreciate that right this minute with the Exploration pack we're catering for 1 genre just for now. Q4 of this year with our next pack we'll be catering to a more gritty, industrial style among other genres. We also have guest sound designer whom I can't name just yet, but one many people will have certainly heard of, we've some really really great stuff coming. Since we're a new small venture we are of course just getting started!
The main idea of the music packs originally was to provide a Star Trek-esque means of asking your 'computer' to change how you hear music. Attaining that goal has been a passion for me for a long long time. Ever since the early 90's when Picard said "computer, remove the oboe", I've been obsessed with making something that does that, that's genuinely useful and interesting to use and hear.
Our users have been inspired and thrown lots of suggestions and so we've listened and the packs are evolving, adding additional capability for managing people's own collections. You mention a cut down pack with just the player functionality, that's something I've been thinking about recently, if there is sufficient appetite for a cut down pack like that, then if people let us know on here, on our forums, our twitter etc then that is certainly something we can look at.
Regarding supporting different languages... we already do. We have an English & German manual, our installer is English & German and the music pack itself also has a German & English profile. So this is already something we do.

Kate aka Angelvids https://gamemusicpacks.com
CMDR Angel^

Hi Gamemusicpacks,

I think your project is awesome and I whish your company great success with it!

I already use a VA profile that randomly plays songs from two dedicated folders (one with slow and relaxing music, one with combat music).
Unortunately, my VA/general pogramming knowledge only allows me very basic usability. That means, I can only play one random song at a time and repeat my 'next song!' command, when it ends. It seems as if your programm is way more sophisticated in this respect!

However, my personal music taste is a bit ... different/special. I don't think, your music selection will serve me well.

Hence the followin question:
Have you considered to split your programm appart and just sell a version with limited features (for a lower price, I guess)?
A version that just adds a VA-controlled music player that can be linked to multiple dedicated folders on the hard drive in order to play music owned (and loved) by the user?
Starting and ending (pausing) the music, chosing music types/folders and controling the volume would be sufficient in my regards.

(Supporting different languages, especially German, would be very welcome, too. As I have to use German voice recognition, this is what holds me back purchasing all those awesom voice packs in the first place. I know that your main product already features German.)